Fireworks were ‘discovered’ in China 2000 years ago. How did they become a 4th of July staple?
Fireworks were invented in China approximately two thousand years ago and gradually spread westward through trade and cultural exchange over centuries. By the American colonial period, fireworks had become established in Europe and were adopted as part of Fourth of July celebrations in the newly independent United States.
Read full story →16 jaw-dropping wildlife photos from the 2026 BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition
A photographer waited 17 hours in freezing conditions to capture a polar bear photograph. The image was among 16 wildlife photos selected for the 2026 BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition.
On 9/11, hundreds of ordinary boat captains carried out the largest maritime evacuation in history
Hundreds of ordinary boat captains evacuated 500,000 people from Manhattan to safety in just 9 hours on September 11. Fishing boats, tugboats, and personal sailboats participated in this largest maritime evacuation in history.
First Permit to Clean Up Old Mine Waste Issued for WA State Under 2024 ‘Good Samaritan Act’
The EPA approved the first permit under its 2024 Good Samaritan law to remediate abandoned mine waste. Trout Unlimited, a fishing and conservation nonprofit, received this permit to clean up old mine workings in Washington State.